Built a Flexi-type rack?

Measure twice and cut once! When I drilled my shelves (on a drill press which I know to be mandatory - it is nearly impossible to cut a perfectly perpendicular hole with a hand drill), I made a small jig out of thin aluminum, which guaranteed the position of the hole - just align it to the corner, and go. I think the most important aspect of cutting the hole is to use the right speed, and the right bit. As I said, I went 1/16" above the rod size to get a little play, and used a brand new forstner bit (most will state the correct speed for the material you are cutting), which gave me perfect cuts - no splinters or tearing of the grain at all.

My problem with most commercial products, and hence the impetus for building my own, was the near ubiquitous use of tubular material which rings like a bell. Who the hell wants to fill a rack with lead or sand? Commercially available racks in the price range we're looking (or building) at, are built to a price point, and are filled with compromise(s). There are many exceptions, but we begin to start talking serious cash. I also think it quite nice to be able to customize your dimensions, your choice of materials and finish, and to make the rack a customized unit that suits your needs. I also find great joy in building things myself - pride of workmanship, if you will. My rack seriously outperforms (sonically) everything I've heard under the $1000 mark (and of course I've not heard everything), but as a bang for the buck DIY project, I don't think you'll ever look back.

Thanks, Palasr!

I'm about convinved to give it a whirl.

How did you do the jig? Just a perfectly square piece with a hole to line up the pilot?

Best,

John

PS: "Measure twice and cut once," indeed. If you've got reservations now, you'll be making 'em later. ;-)

The aluminum (or whatever material) jig doesn't have to be square - simply consistent - though being square certainly helps align to the corners of your workpiece. Mark the jig as to what the top outside corner should always "key" to -- in other words, if you use a square jig, and don't mark it for consistency in alignment, there will always be some margin of "play" in the way the workpiece is marked/drilled since you may inadvertently rotate the jig during workpiece marking. I used a 3" x 3" piece of aluminum with a thickness of around .0625" (1/16") , and cut a hole to size that matched (and some) the diameter at the tip of the forstner pilot arbor. This ensures that ALL the holes will line up consistently, since the pilot on a forstner extends perhaps a quarter inch below the actual cutting head. Be sure to mark (with tape et al) which side of your workpiece is your top, and then mark the edges (front or back). I tend to pick the best finish on any given workpiece, and then go from there. Since no piece of material is ever truly square in all dimensions, it helps to start at one corner, and "jig" around the workpiece clockwise so that each shelf is consistently marked and drilled. As long as everything is marked and well-planned, you'll have no problems.

-Richard

If you have a drillpress, great, but you really don't need one. I built my flexitable with a only a circular saw and a hand drill(used a clamped, metal level to serve as a guide for the saw to insure straight cuts). Make sure to start all measurements from the same corner (left front, say). That way if your shelves aren't exactly the same dimensions, it won't matter. Also, the holes you'll be drilling will be slightly larger in diameter than the support rods; thus your holes don't need to be perfectly perpendicular. As far as far as footer go, I brought my threaded rods to a machine shop and had them grind the ends down to a point. Cheap and looks good. You can protect your floor with expensive disks or do what I do--use quarters (cost? twenty-five cents, and free if I steal from girlfriend's change jar).

This is a fun project. The combo of wood (especially the maple you're considering), industrial size hardware, and shiny electronics is quite fetching (imo). My modest, oak-trimmed, mdf shelved flexitable garners a lot of compliments.

Hey guys

I'm getting close to ordering up the stuff I need for one of these racks.

Does anyone have a source for 4' threaded rods? I would even consider steel rods (a la Mapleshade's 1.25").

The problem is finding anything in 4' length.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

Jim